Zimbabwean Grocery Shops, Butchers and African Food Markets in the UK: City-by-City Guide

Finding sadza ingredients, Mazoe, Colcom polony or fresh madora in the UK once required knowing the right person who knew the right person. That has changed considerably. A combination of dedicated Zimbabwean online tuck shops, broader African grocery stores and specialist butchers now serves the diaspora community across most major British cities — though the experience varies significantly depending on where you live. ## Online Zimbabwean Tuck Shops: The Easiest Starting Point For many diaspora members, particularly those outside London or Birmingham, online Zimbabwean shops are the most reliable source for authentic products. **Zimtuckshop** (zimtuckshop.co.uk) stocks a broad range including Mazoe, Cerevita, Maputi, Madora, traditional herbs, African print fabric products, books and novels, and gifts and souvenirs. Their tagline — "bringing you closer to home" — reflects the emotional as much as the practical function these shops serve. **Hungwe Tuckshop** (hungwetuckshop.co.uk) is based in Woolwich Arsenal, London, and operates both as an online shop and a collection point. They stock snacks, drinks, fabrics and Southern African food products. They also run a city-to-city delivery tour — contact them on 07472350503 to find out when they may be visiting your area, which is particularly useful for those outside London. **Zimfoods** (zimfoods.co.uk) is Birmingham-based and offers a wide range of Zimbabwean and South African staples: Royco Usavi Mix (chicken and beef), Colcom French Polony, Black Cat Peanut Butter, Family Peanut Butter (dovi), Knorrox stock cubes, All Gold Tomato Sauce, Nola Mayonnaise, Five Roses and Joko tea, Moirs Custard Powder, and fresh mauyu (baobab fruit). They ship to the UK and internationally — customer reviews reference deliveries as far as Russia and Japan. ## London London has the largest Zimbabwean community in the UK and consequently the best physical retail options, though dedicated Zimbabwean-only shops remain rare. Most Zimbabwean products are found within broader African or South African stores. **Mwanaka Fresh Farm Foods and Butchery** (mwanakafarmshop.com) at 744 Hertford Road, Enfield, EN3 6PR (phone: 01992 765 668) is the closest thing to a dedicated Zimbabwean butcher in London. They stock beef brisket, boerewors (original and garlic flavour, 1kg), chakalaka beef boerewors, pork trotters, mixed cuts, and their own-brand Mwanaka maize meal (both roller and refined), pearl millet (mhunga), organic sorghum and finger millet (zviyo). They also carry familiar products like Willards Cheezies, Simba Steakhouse chips, Oros Orange Squash, Mufaro's Cultured Milk and OUMA Muesli rusks. Nationwide delivery is available; order by 12pm for next-day delivery. Orders placed after 12pm Thursday arrive the following Tuesday. For broader African groceries in London, the areas around Dalston Kingsland (on the London Overground), Peckham, Brixton and Lewisham all have strong concentrations of African food shops and market stalls. South-west London — particularly Wimbledon and Raynes Park — has historically had South African grocery shops where some Zimbabwean products appear alongside SA brands. New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms is London's main wholesale produce market and was named Britain's Best Wholesale Market for 2026. Some traders allow private bulk purchases during early morning hours (midnight to 6am), making it useful for community groups or caterers sourcing large quantities of fresh vegetables, yam or plantain. ## Birmingham Birmingham has one of the oldest established African trading communities in the UK. The city's African grocery scene is well-developed, with shops stocking fresh produce (yam, cassava, plantain, cocoyam), pantry staples (rice, beans, garri, palm oil, groundnut oil), frozen meats (goat, cow foot, tripe, chicken) and dried fish (stockfish, crayfish). Zimfoods operates from Birmingham specifically and offers one of the better online selections of Zimbabwean-specific products. The Birmingham Wholesale Market, located at The Hub in Witton, supplies many of the city's African grocers and is accessible for bulk purchasing. For Zimbabwean shoppers, this is most useful when buying maize meal, rice or dried goods in large quantities. ## Manchester and the North West Manchester's African grocery scene is centred around Cheetham Hill and parts of Salford. Stores in this region tend to have larger floor spaces than their London equivalents, with wholesale sections offering 20kg bags of rice and bulk beans at lower prices. The Manchester area is noted for stocking a mix of Nigerian, Cameroonian and Zimbabwean products alongside each other. If you are in Manchester and looking for Zimbabwean staples, checking the African supermarkets around Cheetham Hill is the best starting point — stock varies by shop, so it is worth calling ahead before making the trip. ## Leeds and Yorkshire Leeds has a smaller but growing African grocery presence. Dedicated Zimbabwean shops are not well-established here, and online delivery from Zimtuckshop, Hungwe or Zimfoods is often the most practical solution. Hungwe Tuckshop's city-to-city tour service is worth enquiring about if you are in Yorkshire. ## What to Expect in Store Across all cities, African grocery stores commonly stock: - **Fresh produce**: yam, cassava, plantain, fresh vegetables - **Butchery**: goat meat (often with skin on), cow foot, tripe, boerewors, chicken - **Dry goods**: maize meal, rice, beans, garri, semolina - **Sauces and spices**: Royco, Knorrox, palm oil, groundnut oil - **Snacks and drinks**: Freezits, Willards, Simba, Mazoe where stocked - **Beauty products**: many African general stores include hair and skincare sections with shea butter, extensions and natural hair products ## Practical Tips - Call ahead to confirm stock of specific Zimbabwean items before travelling — products like madora, maputi and mauyu are not guaranteed to be in stock at all times - Online tuck shops are often the only reliable source for branded Zimbabwean products (Colcom, Mazoe, Cerevita) outside London - For bulk buying, wholesale markets in London and Birmingham offer better value for high-volume staples - Hungwe Tuckshop's touring service can bring products directly to cities without a physical Zimbabwean shop — contact them to register your area's interest